Cooking Classes

30.7.14

Chimichurri sauce is just like a pesto. Lots of fresh herbs, garlic and a good quality olive oil. It matches with any meat from your grill. And it only takes a minute to make.

Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce

2 c. packed fresh
Italian parsley leaves 500 mL

4 garlic cloves,
peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 c. packed
fresh oregano leaves 60 mL

1/4 c. red wine
vinegar 60 mL

1/2 tsp. red
pepper flakes 3 mL

1/2 tsp. salt 3 mL

Freshly ground
black pepper, to taste

1 c. extra virgin olive oil 250 mL

Place parsley,
garlic, oregano, vinegar, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food
processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until finely chopped,
stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as
needed, about 1 minute.

With the motor
running, add oil in a steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and
pulse a few times to combine. Transfer sauce to an airtight container and
refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld.
Before serving, stir and season as needed. This will keep in the refrigerator
for up to 1 week.

23.7.14

Blogging takes a back seat in the busy summer market season. I am cooking a lot, every day, all day. Except when I take the occassional day off to garden or go for a drive. This is not my garden basil. It's from the market and so lovely.

Dry toast the pinenuts in a stovetop pan.
Chop basil, pinenuts and garlic with olive oil in food processor until finely
minced. Stir in parmesan cheese and more olive oil if necessary. Pack into a
jar and float a little olive oil on top to help preserve the mixture.
Or, freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray and store the ice cubes in
freezer bags for later use.

And just because my lilies are lovely and at their peak, here's a picture for you. Aren't they purdy?

15.7.14

Rising at three in the morning wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated. I have been waiting for this day since I moved to southwest Saskatchewan five years ago. I have seen so many pictures of The Great Sand Hills but I want my own. The golden hour, that hour after the sun rises or before it sets, is the only time to photograph sand dunes.

My odometer read 140 kilometers by the time I parked my car. It was a long drive in the dark and when the sun did show itself over the horizon the push was on to find this spot. The countryside is so calm and verdant this time of year and day that the temptation to stop and snap photos was strong. I had driven all this way for the dunes so I only took a couple of green pictures.

I am not comfortable with cows. They are so big and they always stare. They were my greeting party. One momma cow had twins and I made a large loop around her in case she became protective with a stranger in the pasture. I'm sure she sees a steady stream of strangers all summer long but I wasn't about to take any chances, out here, alone, at six in the morning.

In my excitement to get to the dunes I forgot about changing my shoes. Drat. The pasture grass was dewy and the sand quickly coated the toes of my good walking Geox's. Oh well. The sand is powdery fine and the dune slightly steep. It was a new exercise for me or at least one that I had not done in a long time.

Too bad there are people footprints everywhere. Somehow I thought that by arriving early the wind would have taken care of yesterday's activity.

The park occupies almost 2,000 square kilometers but the birding trail was the only place that parking was allowed. That is enough for today. I will be back and hopefully it will be after a strong wind so I can feel completely alone on these dunes.

Today is a study in texture. Beautiful swirls and waves, curious trackings from insects and small animals and a few hardy plants provided enough to study on my first walk into this amazing landscape.

Most of the time I wasn't completely alone. Small and large herds of antelope grazed hardly noticing my presence. A doe with darling twins was less trusting. Hawks, foxes and songbirds kept me company. I only met one truck out in the dunes, a local. He stopped to be sure I was finding things all right.

The iconic cowboy boot arch watches over the parking lot from a hilltop.

A working ranch at the entry to the sand dunes area has an archway bedecked with antelope, deer and moose antlers.

13.7.14

Pea shoots are in season and are at the farmers' markets. But what do you do with them? Their flavour is mild, their colour is bright and they are so pretty. Pea shoots can be sautéed in a stir fry. They can be puréed into a chilled summer soup, tossed into a salad or used simply as a garnish on a crostini.

Slice the baguette on the diagonal and lightly toast on a medium hot grill. Grill on one side only and remove. Brush grilled side lightly with olive oil and top with a slice of brie or camembert and return to the grill. Heat until the bottom is toasted and the cheese melts a little. Top with your favourite fruit compote or preserve. Garnish with pea shoots and serve.

Cherries herald in the season. They are the first orchard fruit in a progression of summer's most treasured flavours. The season is all too short. As a child my mother would 'put up' a case of every fruit that came out of the Okanagan. We loved canned Okanagan fruit, especially cherries.

I no longer do this. Perhaps it is time to rethink before cherries are done. This recipe seems to easy to be true. I am making only a small jar to try it out. But hey, what's the downside? A jar of bourbon soaked cherries and a bit of bourbon that may taste like cherries. Really. There is no downside to trying this recipe.

Okay, so 2 months later I am adding my notes. The bourbon was a lovely red colour but no noticeable cherry flavour. It still would make a nice manhatten though. The cherries were so strongly bourbon flavoured that I couldn't use them as a garnish for my cocktail. Perhaps chop and add to a cherry pie with more cherries? Oh well. It had great potential.

Cherry Bourbon Liqueur

a jar
enough pitted cherries to fill the jar about one quarter full
a good bourbon

Place pitted cherries into a clean jar to about the one quarter mark. Fill to the top with bourbon. Seal tightly and leave at room temperature for one month. Store in a cold room or refrigerator until used. Will keep a long time.

5.7.14

I spent five months housesitting in Tennessee a few years back. I learned to cook with collard greens, okra and attended more than a few church potlucks. Southern food is comfort food at its best. Grits might not be so easy to find up here in Canada but if you ever see them, snap them up. They are a quick and easy nutritious meal. This recipe is an all time favourite.

Shrimp and Cheese
Grits

Grits are a
truly American food. They are made from dried yellow or white corn that is
ground and then boiled. It can be purchased in its original form that is long
cooking or quicker cooking varieties. This dish was considered a basic
fisherman’s breakfast during shrimp season. Now it is served at any meal either
as a side dish or the main course. Polenta or cornmeal can be substituted for
grits but they are more finely ground and will produce a creamier dish.

Grits

2 c. water 500
mL

2 c. half
and half cream 500 mL

2 tbsp.
chopped red pepper 30 mL

1 tsp. salt
5 mL

1 c. stoneground
grits 250 mL

1 c.
shredded Cheddar cheese 250 mL

2 tbsp.
butter 30 mL

Pepper to
taste

Bring water,
cream, butter, red pepper and salt to a boil in a 3-qt. (4 L) saucepan. Whisk
in grits. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook stirring often, about 30 minutes
or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Season with pepper, to
taste.

Shrimp

2 bacon
slices

1 lb. peeled,
medium-size raw shrimp 500 g

1/8 tsp.
salt 1 mL

1/4 tsp.
pepper 2 mL

1/4 c. all purpose
flour 60 mL

2 tsp. oil 10
mL

1/2 c.
chopped green onions 125 mL

2 garlic
cloves, minced

1/2 c.
chicken broth 125 mL

2 tbsp.
fresh lemon juice 30 mL

1/4 tsp.
hot sauce 2 mL

Cook bacon
in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until crisp, remove
and drain on paper towels, reserving one-teaspoon (5 mL) drippings in skillet.
Crumble bacon.

Season
shrimp with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Sauté green onions 2 minutes. Add
shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly browned.
Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce and cook 2 more minutes,
stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Spoon shrimp mixture over the
hot grits. Garnish with crumbled bacon and serve with a hot sauce such as
sriachi. Serves 4. (Adapted from Southern Living)

2.7.14

Our virtual supper club is off to a beach picnic this month. As I write this the weather is scorching hot and I actually wish I was at the beach.

It is my turn to make the appetizer and rather than finding a recipe, I am working with what I have in my kitchen to pull this together. Strawberries made their first appearance at the market this past Saturday. Of course, radishes have been ready for some time now. Ditto rhubarb. Pea shoots also made their first appearance. Voilà. Put them all together and this is what you get. Next time I would place a thin slice of brie on the toast before adding the toppings.

Radishes are not my favourite vegetable but I have been wanting to make pickled radishes for quite some time. This is a quick and simple recipe. I made only one jar. I love the way the vinegar turns a blush colour. It is so pretty.

Let's take a look at the rest of the menu...

Susan of The Spice Garden brings us a main course of Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken. Yumm.

Wow. I wish this was in real time. The menu sounds delicious.Pickled Radishes

1 cup radishes, finely sliced

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoons maple sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

Slice off the tops and bottoms of the radishes,
then use a sharp chef's knife or mandoline to slice the radishes into
very thin rounds. Pack the rounds into a 250 mL (8 ounce) canning jar. Top with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, maple sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring
occasionally, then pour the mixture over the radishes.
Let
the mixture cool to room temperature. Let the pickles sit over night before using. They will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Select young tender red stalks of rhubarb. Chop into 1-inch lengths. Remove the stem from strawberries and slice in half. Toss rhubarb with one tablespoon of maple sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Place strawberries on the other side of the same baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with the remaining maple sugar. Roast at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until tender. Mix together and serve.

Assemble the crostini by toasting the focaccia or baguette slice on the grill until lightly browned. This can be done in advance. Top with a slice of brie, then the fruit compote and then the pickled radishes. Garnish with pea shoots.

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About Me

By education, I am a home economist and by interest, I am an avid cook. I taught high school home ec for a little while, belonged to a dinner club for at least 17 years (same group!) and recently began teaching some cooking classes. I am a foodie at heart and always bring back a bag full of groceries from where I travel. It makes for an interesting pantry! All of the above happened while I lived in Calgary for 35 years. I spent 5 months housesitting in Tennessee and lapped up all the Southern cooking ideas.
Now I am back in Canada and bought a house in a little city on the Saskatchewan prairies.